Meta description: Learn how Class BA camping Wales rules work in 2026, including the 100m buffer zone campsite rule, prior approval, 60-day limit, exclusions and practical site planning.
Hello, farmer, landowner, pub owner or hotel operator. Your Welsh land may support a temporary campsite. Check the rules first.
Class BA now controls temporary recreational campsites in Wales. It sits within the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026.
The Order came into force on 1 June 2026. The transition ended on 1 September 2026.
You must now use the annual prior notification process before operating under Class BA.
What Class BA camping Wales allows
Class BA grants permitted development rights for temporary recreational campsites.
Outside protected landscapes, you can operate for up to 60 days in each calendar year.
That limit falls to 28 days if any part of the site is within:
- A National Park
- A National Landscape, formerly an AONB
- A World Heritage Site
The days must fall within one calendar year, from 1 January to 31 December.
Every day counts when the campsite is available for use. This includes days when no guests arrive.
Plan your opening dates before you submit your notification.
Class BA covers temporary facilities that are reasonably needed for the campsite. It does not grant permission for permanent buildings, fixed tracks or permanent hardstanding.
Use tents and motorhomes or campervans designed for human habitation.
Do not use Class BA for touring caravans, static caravans or mobile homes.
The 100m buffer zone campsite Wales rule
The main restriction concerns protected dwellings.
You cannot use land for camping within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
A protected dwelling means a dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
The restriction applies to the campsite area. It does not prevent the use of an existing private way where you hold a legal right to access or leave your land.
Do not treat the 100m buffer as a target. Treat it as a hard boundary.
How to measure the buffer accurately
Use a scaled site plan. Mark each protected dwelling near the proposed camping area.
Measure from the dwelling or its relevant curtilage to the nearest part of the camping land. Do not measure only from the centre of the field.
Use:
- An accurate base plan.
- A site boundary marked in red.
- A 100m radius around each protected dwelling.
- A clear exclusion area.
- A second check using mapping or surveying software.
- A written record of your measurements.
Keep a margin beyond 100 metres where the site allows it. This helps account for mapping errors and unclear boundaries.
Do not place tents, campervans, toilets, bins or guest areas inside the exclusion area.
A private access way may pass through the buffer. Camping may not.
Reposition pitches instead of forcing the issue
A 100m buffer does not always stop the whole project.
It may only remove part of your field from use.
Move the pitches beyond the buffer. Keep guest facilities in the same compliant area. Use existing tracks for access where you have the legal right to do so.
Consider these options:
- Move pitches towards the centre or far boundary of the field.
- Use a second field if it passes the eligibility checks.
- Keep toilets and waste facilities outside the buffer.
- Place guest parking near the approved access point.
- Use hedges or existing buildings as screening.
- Separate guest routes from working farm areas.
- Keep quiet hours and guest rules clear.
Do not describe the restricted area as a campsite. Do not rely on guest behaviour to maintain the distance.
The site plan must show the actual layout you intend to use.
Annual prior notification is now required
From 1 September 2026, prior notification is required across Wales.
This applies outside protected landscapes as well as within them.
You must apply to your local planning authority before beginning the development in each calendar year.
Use the Welsh Government Class BA determination form.
Your notification pack should include:
- The site location and address.
- A scaled site plan.
- The camping boundary.
- Pitch locations.
- Toilet arrangements.
- Wastewater arrangements.
- Waste disposal arrangements.
- Access from the public highway.
- Proposed opening dates.
- Details of any campervans or motorhomes.
- Evidence that the site avoids the 100m buffer.
- Confirmation that excluded land is not being used.
A complete pack gives the local planning authority the information it needs.
It can reduce the risk of further questions. It can also reduce the risk of prior approval being required for avoidable reasons.
It cannot guarantee that prior approval will not be required.
What happens after submission?
The local planning authority has 28 days to respond.
It may:
- Confirm that prior approval is not required.
- Require prior approval.
- Tell you that the application is incomplete or invalid.
- Fail to respond within the 28-day period.
If the authority confirms that prior approval is not required, you can operate in line with the submitted details.
If the authority does not respond within 28 days, development may proceed in line with the documents submitted, subject to the wider Class BA rules.
Do not start before the 28 days have expired unless you have received the required written notice.
If prior approval is required, apply again with the information requested.
The authority should issue its prior approval decision within eight weeks. You must receive written approval before starting.
Avoid triggering prior approval where possible
The three matters are:
- Toilets and wastewater.
- Waste disposal.
- Vehicular access.
Show practical arrangements for each matter.
For toilets and wastewater, explain:
- The toilet type.
- The number of facilities.
- Storage capacity.
- Collection arrangements.
- The treatment or disposal method.
- How you will prevent pollution.
- How you will protect streams, lakes and nearby homes.
For waste, show:
- Bin locations.
- Recycling arrangements.
- Collection dates.
- Contractor details.
- Storage methods.
- Measures to prevent smells, pests and litter.
Do not leave these details as general promises. Add them to the plan and supporting statement.
Handle the traffic trigger early
Traffic can trigger prior approval.
The authority must require prior approval if it considers that the campsite is likely to create a material increase in traffic, or a material change in the character of traffic near the site.
Review your access before submitting.
Show:
- The access point.
- Visibility splays.
- The width of the entrance.
- Internal vehicle routes.
- Parking for each pitch.
- Turning space.
- Arrival and departure arrangements.
- Highway restrictions.
- Any nearby junction or crossing risk.
Avoid queues on the public highway.
Use timed arrivals. Provide clear check-in instructions. Keep farm machinery separate from guest traffic.
If your entrance connects to a classified road, explain how vehicles will enter and leave safely. The authority may consult the highway authority.
Do not assume that a low pitch number removes the traffic issue. The authority will consider vehicle numbers, journey frequency and the character of the surrounding road.
Check excluded land before you plan
Class BA does not apply to several types of land.
Check the site against current maps and local records.
Excluded land includes:
- Flood Zones 2 and 3.
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Special Areas of Conservation.
- Special Protection Areas.
- Ramsar sites.
- Scheduled monuments.
- Listed building sites.
- Safety hazard areas.
- Military explosives storage areas.
- Land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
- Land used for touring or static caravans.
Class BA also does not apply where permitted development rights have been removed by an Article 4(1) Direction or planning condition.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park introduced an Article 4(1) Direction on 1 January 2026. It still applies.
The National Park remains subject to the 28-day limit. Check the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park guidance before planning a site there.
If your land lies near a protected nature site, consider asking Natural Resources Wales for an opinion. A lack of response from the local planning authority does not remove environmental duties where development could harm a protected site.
Maximise the 60 days
Treat the 60 days as a business plan.
Choose dates that match demand. Focus on school holidays, bank holidays, local events and weekends.
You can open for selected periods. You do not need to operate continuously.
Build a calendar that includes:
- Opening dates.
- Closure dates.
- Cleaning days.
- Waste collections.
- Farm operations.
- Guest arrival windows.
- Weather risks.
- Remaining days.
Remember, every available camping day counts.
Use simple facilities. Avoid permanent construction. Offer clear pitch sizes. Control guest numbers. Set quiet hours. Give visitors waste and wastewater instructions.
Pubs and hotels can link camping with food, drinks and local activities. Farmers can combine camping with walks, wildlife experiences and farm diversification. Keep every activity within its own legal requirements.
Read our guide to unlocking your land and potential before you commit to a layout.
Class BA and the wider camping legislation UK 2026 picture
Class BA only deals with planning permission.
You may still need:
- A campsite licence.
- Visitor accommodation registration.
- Public liability insurance.
- Health and safety procedures.
- Waste collection arrangements.
- Environmental permits or advice.
- Fire safety controls.
- Separate permission for permanent works.
Check the latest Welsh Government temporary campsite guidance.
Do not rely on the old 28-day rule. Wales now has a new Class BA route, a 60-day limit in most areas and a mandatory annual notification process.
Get your Class BA campsite ready
Start with the land.
Map the 100m buffer. Check protected sites. Confirm the day limit. Design the access. Plan toilets, wastewater and waste. Draw the pitches. Submit a complete notification pack.
Then wait for the correct response.
Open only when the rules allow it. Keep the site to the submitted layout. Submit a new notification each calendar year.
Open Sky Adventure helps farmers, rural landowners, pubs and hotels plan compliant camping opportunities. Visit our legal guidance page or contact the team on 01766 805099 and office@openskyadventure.co.uk.
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